Before the telethon, during an interview with Armenian Public
Television, President of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh Arkadi
Ghukasyan announced that he was not too happy with the Armenian
diplomats not giving a full answer to the announcements made by
Azerbaijan regarding the war. He was also discontent of the wrong
propaganda spreading around and in contrast to Armenian media, that
propaganda is being spread the right way in Azerbaijan. However,
Armenian authorities believe that they have no flaws and that they are
giving the “right counterattack” to the Azeri in case of need. Whether
or not that is sufficient for the authorities of the Karabagh is
another side of the story. Both Robert Kocharyan and Serj Sargsyan warn
Azerbaijan periodically in their speeches that “our army can give a
counterattack” if all this leads to war. During our interview with
Minister of Defense of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh Seyran Ohanyan,
he affirmed that Karabagh’s armed forces can resist any pressure put on
by the Azeri. “Of course, our main job in the post war period was to
strengthen our armed forces. We have prepared our soldiers and included
such people in our subdivisions that can carry out the process.” The
Armenian authorities also claim that. Wasn’t that a propaganda that A.
Ghukasyan complained about? In response to this, S. Ohanyan said: “We
must perfect the media because that is the base on which we encourage
the people to survive the difficulties.”
On the occasion of discussing the issue concerning the “seized lands”
at the main assembly of the UN, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Republic of Armenia Vartan Oskanyan announced that Azerbaijan will see
the consequences of that “mistake” later on and claimed that there was
no need for concern. But it turned out that the authorities of Karabagh
are concerned about that. “Of course there is a worry. The declarations
of a possible war are worrisome, but what can we do? All we can do is
prepare for that day and night, if in case a war starts,” said the
Minister of Defense of the NKR. We asked the Minister of Defense
whether or not the Armenian authorities could not include this issue in
the agenda of the UN’s session and if that was what A. Ghukasyan meant
when he said that the Armenian side must work more efficiently. He
said: “It would be better to ask those questions to the diplomats. I am
the minister of defense and I am only responsible for the issues in
that area.” Mr. Ohanyan agreed that the complications of the problems
will be closely connected with the NKR and he can not be indifferent
about that. “It will most certainly be connected with the Ministry of
Defense. God forbid for them to say that we can not rely on the
Armenian side. This is a mutual effort-the more strong the armed forces
be, the more assured the Armenian side will be.” We also asked Seyran
Ohanyan about the former Minister of Defense Samvel Babayan who moved
to Armenia the first day of his release from jail. “Samvel Babayan is a
citizen of the Republic of Nagorno Karabagh, he is connected with
Armenia and is released from jail. True, he is both a hero and a
general-lieutenant, but he is a civil worker and he decides for himself
where he can do his job. I don’t think that he will not take any action
if the country faces any danger,” said S. Ohanyan. Will Samvel Babayan
work more efficiently in the NKR in this stage of negotiations going on
which don’t benefit Armenia? In response to this question, the Minister
of Defense said: “He decides for himself. Should I go and ask him why
he came here?’ He confessed that he had not even seen his former
colleague. “He came here, but I have not met with him.”